National Flood Ins. Program on probation in Port Vincent

January 3, 2013 at 10:51 PM CST - Updated July 26 at 12:10 AM

PORT VINCENT, LA (WAFB) - The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is assisting the Village of Port Vincent to hold on to its National Flood Insurance Program status. Port Vincent is in violation of FEMA flood plain management standards.

The deficiencies cited are the failure to manage flood plain development in accordance with the village's program and lack of administrative procedures and bad record keeping.

"At the end of the day I don' think there is going to be much of anything," says Tim Pujol, attorney for Port Vincent. "We have been cooperating with FEMA from the beginning." There are 103 flood insurance policies issued in the Port Vincent area. The Village has until March 1, 2013 to submit a compliance plan. If they fail to do that a $50 dollar surcharge will be applied to each policy according to FEMA documents.

Mayor David Carter, who is working his second official day on Thursday, says he inherited the issue with FEMA but he says the kinks will be worked out before the March 1, 2013 deadline. "Tim Pujol has been working hard on the response to FEMA," says Carter. "He will get it done."